Windows 10: WinToGo Free Version for W10 Pro

Don't use the worthless Defender.

 

You show a real lack of understanding when you say a silly statement like that. Try turning off whatever AV you use.

 

It's not silly! MS Defender is a poor excuse for AV software that allowed malicious software to be downloaded to my PC back when I was on W10TP where my AV of choice didn't. As you say, there are better choices out there.

I "might" try that if I have nothing to do or bored. The creation and install do take some time which could ended up to be a waste anyway.

 

You have not kept up to date with developments of Defender over last two years. It is perfectly fine. If you got malware on it, there is a strong chance it was because you clicked something wrong.

 

Clicked something wrong? What do you mean?

It was and ESD to ISO converter from a well known file storage site which I've downloaded many Android ROMs, kernels, etc. from. After a new W10TP build, I couldn't install my AV software due to a TP bug which I later bypassed. Defender allowed the download which installed a browser hijacker. Luckily I had made a backup image with other software which I had to use about fifteen times total for other problems when I was on the TP. I gave up on the TP when I couldn't "upgrade" to the latest build somewhere along the line. I'm not in the "clean install" on every build crowd.

This was before I found the ESD to ISO in this forum.

 

Hi folks

I've found that the best way to get Windows on external devices is to use a Linux bootable system on an external SSD connected to a USB 3 (or e_sata) port -- a USB 2 port also works satisfactorily provided you use an SSD and then bring Windows up as a Virtual machine -- any version of Windows BTW.

A minimal Linux installation as the Host OS (i.e the one on the external USB device) has a minimal overhead and the speed of the SSD gives perfectly acceptable performance -- and the Windows VM will usually work without any activation problems on any machine connected to (by virtue of the Hardware being in a "Virtual BIOS").

Using VBOX or VMWARE player (both Free) on the Linux system enables you to run VM's on the Linux system easily enough --both products mature and stable enough to create and run VM's without any problems on nearly all Linux distros these days.

Using SAMBA for sharing HDD's or passing the RAW HDD's on the main computer ensures that any fixes you want the Windows running from the external drive to apply on to the main HDD's will work.

With fast USB 3 and SSD's this solution is far easier than messing around with a proper "Windows to Go" and IMO is far more useful anyway - especially for example if you want alternative language versions of Windows / Office / etc.

With the VM method and a decent SSD you can run 2 or 3 Windows VM's concurrently without too much poor performance either. The old Windows to Go might have been the right tool during the heyday of W7 -- but there are better ways to do this now.

(BTW SSD's are easily connected to USB2 / USB3 ports via really cheap (around 5 USD / EUR) SATA-->USB2/USB3 connectors).

The latest versions have UASP support (that means those external HDD enclosures where you can have a load of HDD's -- i.e more than one in it) pass the data from the specific HDD to the Host computer even though it's connected to the machine via a single port. Data is buffered properly also ensuring maximum speed transfer.





Cheers
jimbo

 

This largely depends on reasons for running windows of a flash drive eg if you want to test an install against native pc drivers.

Also it gets more complicated accessing internal windows drives via a Linux host etc.

I really do not see enough pluses to go down this route.

BTW : True Windows To Go was not introduced until Windows 8 but it was possible to boot from a usb with Windows in Windows 7.